Collide
by Lady Kate of Queenscove
Summary: A story of finding love between two of our favourite characters. KN YAY! Song is collide by Howie Day. Enjoy...


Disclaimer: it's not mine, all ms pierce's

song is collide by Howie Day. listen to it after, it's a really pretty song and works well, well at least i think so!

* * *

**"Collide"**

It was morning when he woke. The sunlight filtering through the window, creating an arch of light on the floor of the room. It felt so right, lying there. Like there was nowhere else he should be, nowhere that could be this perfect.

He looked around him at the room, he'd spent so much time in here it seemed to him as familiar as his own. At his side he began to feel movement and looked down into the face of his love.

_**The dawn is breaking  
A light shining through**_

Her eyes fluttered and her arms stretched in well known movements. He couldn't count the number of times he had witnessed this sight. He stroked her face and his gaze traveled down the bed to the tangle of limbs and sheets that had occurred as they slept.

They had not always been this way. Yes they had been close, best friends in fact, but never lovers, they had never been as close as that. They now shared such a depth of love, one that only grows out of a steadfast friendship, that he didn't think he could ever live without her again.

He remembered how they had been before love and could pinpoint the exact moment where the tide had turned and love had swept him away. It had been strange at first loving his best friend, let alone complicated especially under the circumstances. He cast his mind back…

_**You're barely waking  
And I'm tangled up in you **_

It was the first day of page training and all the older pages had been called down by Wyldon to sponsor the next batch of youngsters. Although he would only be starting this year too he had lived in the palace and was curious about all that went on. He decided to tag along incase anything interesting happened.

Looking back he was so glad he had. At first he had not noticed her. She looked the same as all the others, particularly with her hair cut short like that. But then Wyldon had said her name and everyone knew. This was the Girl!

No one at first wanted her until that bastard Joren. He still didn't know what had possessed him to do it but it seemed he couldn't leave the girl to such a fate and he had put himself forward as her sponsor. It all seemed to go fast after that and soon they were left together in the hallway.

_**Yeah**_

Her face was shuttered. No emotion showed. She had asked him why he had sponsored her and he'd made up an answer, still not sure. At first he thought he'd made a mistake. She was so hard to read, that damn mask of hers, he never knew what she was thinking. Probably that he was a loudmouth that never shut up and had a knack of letting his tongue get him into trouble. But it was his task to help her so he led her round the castle and she followed with no change of expression.

For a long time that's how her face stayed earning her the title of 'Yamani Lump' from Joren and his gang. Of course she'd made progress over the years. His friendship and that of all the others too had helped wear away the blankness of expression and she had begun to show what she felt, to open up a bit. But how quickly that could change.

_**I'm open, you're closed  
Where I follow, you'll go**_

OF course he had been happy seeing the relationship between his cousin and his best friend bloom. He had no reason not to be. He had his Yamani blossom and everything was good for a while. Then things had changed.

He and Yuki seemed to be fighting all the time, over room furnishings, visits to parents, plans for the future, and possibly the biggest one: how much time he spent with Kel. He didn't think that was a fair argument at all. He and Kel were friends, best friends. They were allowed time to see each other, and so yes there were some days where he spent all the time with Kel and none with Yuki but what was he to do? She shouldn't be getting so jealous all the time. And he was a grown man he should be able to do what he liked.

And so what if he had noticed strange feelings surfacing whenever he was around Kel and even stranger ones when he saw her with Dom. He was just looking out for her as a big brother would.

But these new feelings weren't the only things he had noticed. It had been when he was out walking one night in the gardens at the palace. He and Kel and Dom were all on leave for Roald and Shinko's wedding. He'd just had another fight with Yuki about where she would live if they got married. She wanted to return to the Isles but he wanted to stay in Tortall. He had left midway through her shouting and escaped to the cool calmness of the gardens.

He hadn't been there for long and he was wandering through some rose bushes when he had heard a familiar voice followed by a high pitched laughing. It was coming from his left and he turned down a path that he hoped would bring him to the source of the voices. It did. He had only moved a short distance along it when he saw them. It was Dom's voice that he had recognized, he saw him standing near a pond.

He was talking to a lady. Neal remembered her as one of the newest ladies to enter court. He wondered why Dom was talking to her and began feeling suspicious. Was Dom cheating on Kel? No of course not, why would he be as stupid as to do that? Kel was the most wonderful person he knew, Dom wouldn't cheat on her! The girl was probably just asking directions. Yes that was what he had thought, that it was all innocent.

He had decided to wait until the girl left to investigate, needing to talk to Dom anyway about his problems with Yuki. Time passed and still the girl hadn't left, if anything Neal had noticed her moving closer to Dom and he moving closer to her. He had shaken his head at these thoughts and had all but dismissed the possibility of anything other than innocent conversation between them when suddenly Dom had reached his hand out and stroked the cheek of the girl. She had tilted her face up to his and he had kissed her.

Dom was cheating on Kel! Neal didn't know what to do, whether to tell Kel or let her find out herself. The choice was taken away one afternoon however when Kel came running into his rooms. She had her mask on but he could tell it was beginning to crumble. He had held out his arms and grasped her tight to him wanting to purge her of her pain, to protect her from all hurts.

They had stayed like that as her mask broke and she cried for the first time in years. Neal had gripped her to him as sobs shook her body and tears soaked his shirt. When they had finally subsided he took her to a chair and sat her down.

Silence reigned as he made tea for them both and while they drank Kel within a circle of his arms. It was just as he had put down his cup that she spoke. She had blurted it all out. Dom had broken up with her to go off with his new courtly love. He had grimaced upset for Kel's sake but in a way he was also relieved and felt an unknown pressure leave his chest.

Looking down he had seen her face and it had shocked him. Her eyes. He still couldn't explain. She had looked so upset, like she could never recover. He hated seeing her like that. And for a while after that thought that she would never be able to open up to a person and smile again. She had opened before to Dom giving him her heart and he had thrown it back to her in threads, so bad that he couldn't see her ever putting it back together again.

_**I worry I won't see your face  
Light up again  
**_

It had shocked him that such an amazing woman could be brought so low by a man. And it shamed him that the man was related to him. She was the best at everything. Top of their year in almost everything, she was good at helping people, no not good wonderful, she always knew just what to say to make them feel better, she cared so much, too much some said but for him it was just another thing to love about her. She was dedicated too and so honorable. And she was undeserving of the pain she had been put through.

He hated it when people who didn't know her slandered her, they didn't know just how perfect she was, how she would never do what they said she had. Of course she had her faults but really they just increased her appeal. To him she was the best and he wondered why he hadn't seen it before. A movement from her had jerked him back from his thoughts.

"You know what he told me?" she'd said.

"What?" he'd asked her softly.

"This: 'Kel, you and me aren't meant to be' that's it. I mean how can he justify all the love he confessed to me and then break up with me? How does that work Neal? I hate this, it makes me feel so stupid and weak and awful. Why did he do it? It was me I know it was. Was I too clingy? What did I do?"

"Kel no! It wasn't you at all. You're amazing, it was him that ratbag cousin of mine who I am ashamed to be related to. Really Kel this was not your fault. If he can't see how great you are then it's his loss okay? Do you understand?" and he had tilted her face up so that he could look into her eyes.

They had looked up at him, so innocent but also filled with utter pain and sadness. But she had nodded, just a little movement of the head, just enough to tell him that she would recover. Their faces were close he noticed. Close enough so that if he leaned forward just a little bit then he could kiss her. But he had rejected that thought, she had just been dumped. He couldn't take advantage of that.

_**Even the best fall down sometimes  
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme**_

Over the next months he had comforted her, helping her heal, distracting her from the pain of Dom and from watching the romance between Dom and that little hussy. He had taken her riding, shopping, walking, shown her books, talked with her throughout the evenings, taken her home and away from court and had spent so much time with her that Yuki leaving for the isles had barely caused a ripple in his day.

And gradually she had healed. She still didn't open up as much as she had done and that damn mask of hers only came off when they were alone and even then he could tell she was trying to hide something.

All the time they were together he could feel something growing. As time passed he could feel tension between them growing. Little things like hugs and holding hands seemed to hold greater significance to him, and maybe he thought to Kel as well. But he had his doubts. She was his best friend, what if they had a relationship and something went wrong? What happened then? Was their friendship over? And anyway she'd just had her heart broken, he didn't want her to get into anything too soon even if it was with him.

And he wasn't sure she even thought about him like that. Sure she did blush a lot in his presence and sometimes he could detect that her heart was beating faster than normal, like his did whenever he saw her. But maybe he was imagining it, wishful thinking or something like that.

It hadn't been long after he had convinced himself of all this that something had happened. He'd been called out to the border for a few days as a temporary healer to a routine patrol post. He knew Kel was upset about their separation but she had seen him off with a smile. He could only just return it. He knew it was only a few days but the thought of even that amount of time without Kel was unbearable. But he had smiled and given her a quick hug, saying a parting joke and waving from his horse.

He was supposed to be out of the action on the battlefield. That's what they had told him. But that didn't help when the enemy came off the battlefield and into the fort. They had been beaten out eventually, but not without injuring many people, including himself. The war had begun again.

He'd been sent back to Corus, back to the palace, back to Kel, and he couldn't have been more happy being injured than he was. It had actually been quite a bad injury and the journey had exacerbated it and by the time he had arrived he was barely conscious.

He didn't remember much as he was installed in the infirmary except a warm hand clasping his own and the presence of someone always at his side. In the state he was in he didn't know who it was only that they were always there. Other people would come and go but that one person stayed. After the first few days he had blacked out and didn't know anything that had happened.

Sometime later, days? Weeks?, he had woken up. His head was pounding, his mouth parched and his eyes unfocused. He had asked for water and again felt a presence on his left side. Whoever it was filled a glass and passed it to him. He tried to move his hand but it barely twitched. Panic filled him and he had strained as much as he could his eyes darting all over the place trying to make his body respond to his mind. A cool hand had pressed itself against his forehead instantly calming him and soon after he had stopped stressing he felt the glass against his lips. He opened them a fraction and felt it tip to pour chilled water into his throat. After a few gulps he had had enough. He didn't open his lips anymore and relaxed back onto the bed.

Now he concentrated on getting his eyes to focus properly. For a while all he saw were blurry shapes and light and dark patches, but then everything started making sense and he was looking into the concerned faces of his friends and family. All his year mates were there, all his friends from the years above and below as well. There was his father, brothers, little sister. His knight mistress was there too and Lord Raoul.

They all began to look a little relieved as they saw him able to focus on them but he continued to search the faces for just one. Where was Kel? Surely she would be there? Then he remembered the warm presence and the cooling hand that had patiently fed him the water and calmed his panic.

He turned his head slightly and there she was. Her eyes had bags under them as though she hadn't slept and she looked haggard, she'd lost weight too and there were lines on her brow that hadn't been there before, the clothes she wore looked as though they hadn't been changed in days but to him she couldn't look more beautiful. Then she spoke.

"welcome back Neal." Just three words but they conveyed a lot.

All the worry and terror she had been feeling, the relief at his recovery and something else he couldn't pinpoint. He didn't try to hard though to work out what it was. He was beginning to feel tired and a blackness was creeping into his line of sight. He went limp and could only just hear the cries of alarm and the rush of his father to him.

He fainted before he could hear the sobbing of Kel or feel the tingling of his father's healing magic pouring into him. Again when he woke he was disorientated but this time he felt stronger. He tested his hand out and found he could move it. He couldn't quite work up the courage though to open his eyes and so he lay there conserving strength and listening to the world around him. As he listened he could detect a faint sobbing coming from his left. It sounded like a woman. She was saying something too.

"Come on Neal, you can do it. Please don't die, I don't think I could live if you died. If you do I'll never forgive you. Neal I will never speak to you again if you die." As if the meaning of what she had just said had sunk in the woman burst into louder sobs and Neal felt her grab at his hand with both of hers. They were rough for a woman's as though she did more than embroidery with them. Then he remembered who had been on his left when he woke up that last disastrous time. It was Kel, the woman who was crying over him! He had no more time to think about this though as she began to speak again.

"Neal please I need you, I don't know what I would have done without you when Dom broke up with me. You were, are, what pulled me through, and Neal I need you please! These past weeks have been torture." The hands let go of his and he felt regret that Kel had gone until he heard movement and felt the bed shift under her weight as she settled herself down next to him on the bed taking one of his hands again.

"I really can't imagine life without you. I don't know how I stood it before I came to the palace. I think I would collapse now if I didn't have you and you're stupid jokes to cheer me up and your sarcasm and so-called wit to keep me on my toes. If not for you I could never have stuck all those years as a page and then at Haven you were my support. And then with Dom well you were my lifesaver and Neal you know what lately it's like all my old feelings have resurfaced. I think I've begun to fall in love with you all over again. I just wish I'd had the guts to tell you before you'd left. Then maybe I wouldn't feel as bad as I do. But to see you there I just want you to know that I'll always love you. But what am I doing? You're asleep. I guess that's a good thing though I couldn't say all this if you were awake. It would just make things weird between us."

It was then that he decided to open his eyes. She didn't notice at first as her eyes were trained on where her fingers were tracing patterns on the back of his hand. He studied her for a minute. Then he spoke.

"Why?" She jumped.

"Neal you're awake!? That's great." She hugged him, careful not to hurt him, ignoring his question. "Duke Baird, your father, said you might not make it and that if you didn't wake up soon then you never would. Oh Neal I'm so happy, I-we were all so worried about you. Alanna's been in a bad mood all this time, storming about the palace looking for someone to kill over that fiasco at the fort. Your brothers and sister are here as well, they visited this morning and left an hour or two ago. Everyone's been to visit, even the king popped in once to see how you were! And-"

"Kel why did you say that you loving me would make things weird between us?" She flushed and looked away from his piercing green gaze.

"Oh you heard that?" he nodded, "Sorry I thought you were asleep and I guess, well, just forget I said it okay I don't want this to come in the way of our friendship alright?"

"Kel you know nothing could stop us being friends." She smiled, "But I think you are trying to stop us from being more." Her face showed all her shock. Worry and weakness seemed to have left her mask in tatters.

"But, but what are you saying?" she demanded

"What I'm saying Kel is that I love you and I want to be more than friends with you. Even before I broke up with Yuki, while you were still with Dom, I noticed my feelings change. Kel I can't imagine a life without you and a life with you as more than just a friend to me is more than I could ever have wished for before…I couldn't think that you ever felt the same…" She was shocked into silence and it was a while before she spoke again.

"Did you just-? Neal I want you to look at me and tell me how you feel. I don't think I could stand another Dom, especially with you. Please tell me this isn't a joke that you really mean it." She pleaded at him but he wasn't really listening to the words she said. He was more mesmerized by her shining eyes and moving lips that beckoned to him. With a show of strength he pulled himself up raising his face to her level and looking deep into her eyes.

"I love you Kel. I have done for a while and I will continue to do so forever." And with that he kissed her. As he did so Kel couldn't help but think that this could have happened many times before now, and should have happened many times before now. She thought back to their first meeting and the years and events that had recently occurred…

_**Out of the doubt that fills my mind  
I somehow find  
You and I collide  
**_

She had felt lost and unwanted. Standing quiet and alone in the middle of the hallway. That's when she'd first seen him. He looked too old to be a page and that had been explained later but back then she had just been confused. She had been even more confused when he had offered to sponsor her instead of that other boy. She didn't protest too much about it though and soon they were left together.

The silence was oppressive as he studied her, so she had said something to relieve the tension she felt. After that there was silence no more. Not because she was talking or even that they were conversing. No, he'd started on a monologue and decided to drag her all over the place. His constant chatter confirmed the impression she'd had when she'd first heard him talk. He was flippant and arrogant and superficial and loudmouthed and… should she go on?

_**I'm quiet you know  
You make a first impression**_

But over time that impression of him had been revamped and some parts had faded while others and new ones had been given new meanings altogether.

It was just after the break up with Dom, the war was over and they were again in the palace, that she began to notice his strange behaviour. He seemed more warm, in a way. He would hug her for longer than usual, hold her hand more often, stay with her all the time. At first she dismissed it as concern for her happiness after Dom but as she healed and time passed it continued. And there was something else. Something in his eyes when he looked at her. It seemed so tender and loving and it was so intense. It had scared her seeing that, and being around him was never the same as before. He always seemed to be around or helping her in some way. One day he had come up to her.

"Hey Kel, I know you've been looking for a new dagger after you lost that other one, and I was in the markets this morning and was thinking of you. Anyway I saw this and thought it would be perfect." He held out a dagger in a sheath and she took it. The leather sheath was beautifully patterned and was feminine but not in a sissy way. The dagger when she slid it out was shining and razor sharp and fit her hand to perfection.

"Neal how did you get one this perfect?"

"Well I just saw it, and then held it, and then I thought of it in your hands, and it just seemed perfect for you." She blushed slightly then pulled her mask up. So he had been thinking of her this morning, and possibly, probably, at other times as well. The thought scared her and she shrank away from it.

Sheathing the dagger in the leather she thanked Neal again and excused herself. He'd had that look in his eyes again, the one that made her hot and tingly and caused many near blushes. It frightened her that he could make her feel that way.

_**I've found I'm scared to know I'm always on your mind  
**_

Time passed and the pair continued. They were still at the palace, New Hope had been turned into a fully fledged town when the war ended meaning that Kel was free and had nothing to do. Without a war to keep them busy the knights were all relaxing and taking a break from work. A break that had extended to almost more than a year.

To tell the truth Kel was becoming bored. The King had no new missions for them so she and Neal spent a lot of time in the practice courts, her willingly and he after being dragged by the shirtfront whining all the way. It was during one of their bouts that a messenger had come for Neal. He had held out a letter sealed with the Queenscove crest and Neal's full title in large, firm writing.

"Sorry Kel I'm going to read this now so can we maybe postpone this until another time?"

"Yeah right Queenscove, you just want to get out of having your butt thrashed again."

"No Kel the thought of fighting with you by no way motivates my decision to go away right now." She snorted as he spun on his heal with his nose stuck up in the air pompously. He'd gone a few steps when he turned around. "Well maybe it does just a little." And with that he left. She watched as he walked away, laughing as she picked up his sword that had flown away as she disarmed him yet again. She decided to let him have time to read the letter, and then later she would pop in and drop the sword off at his rooms.

It was getting dark when she knocked on his door. She heard a faint scraping and sniffling before the door opened and Neal looked out at her. She gasped. His eyes were red and swollen, his eyelashes wet. His face was blotchy and wet patches could be seen on his shirt where tears had dropped.

"Neal! What's happened?" She ushered him into the room, leading him to a chair and sitting him down then she began to make some tea. She could have laughed. This was what had happened after the break up with Dom. Except this time it was Neal who was crying and her that was making tea. But she couldn't laugh, no this was serious and she was worried. Something really bad must have happened to make Neal like this.

"It's my…" he began but stopping as his throat choked up and more tears spilt. He took the tea she offered, sipping it slowly as he tried to pull himself together. "My…I can't. Here's the letter, it explains everything." He handed her the now tear splashed document and she scanned it quickly then read it again more slowly.

"At least it was painless." Neal said trying to find something positive to hold onto. He spoke more to himself than her.

"Oh Neal. Your mother! But she wasn't even sick."

Tears formed in Kel's eyes too. Neal's mother had been a kind woman who she had met many times. They had become quite close as well. She'd supported Kel as a lady knight having no objections to a fighting woman and wishing the law had been changed while she was young. Kel knew she would have been good at it. She had defended Queenscove while Duke Baird was away if it was attacked and with the right training she would have had a good body for fighting. She was always ready to laugh and Kel could see where Neal got his humour from. Lady Queenscove had also helped Kel in many ways, one of which was teaching her how to be a lady, something which Kel, surprisingly, didn't mind. She was also a loving mother and the pride in her eyes when she looked at her children was something amazing to witness. Kel had formed a close friendship with the happy woman from their first meeting and her death was nearly as hard for her to bear as it was for Neal.

She stood up from her chair, placing the letter on the table in the centre of the room, before settling next to Neal on his chair and comforting him with her arms. They had sat together for a long time before Kel realized how dark it was. All the windows were open and not shuttered but clouds covered the night sky like a blanket and no light shone from the moon or the stars. Easing her arms from their place around Neal, who was asleep, she stood and opened a cupboard, bringing out blankets for herself. She half dragged, half carried Neal to her bed tucking him in gently under the covers and stroking his hair. Then she settled down on the couch for the night.

_**Even the best fall down sometimes  
Even the stars refuse to shine**_

Not long after that was when Neal was injured. Kel had sat for days at his bedside hoping beyond hope, and praying with all she had that he would live. She had cried day in day out refusing food and sleep to be with him always trying to pour all the strength in her into him. When he had woken up the first time she had been speechless. She had watched him open his eyes and take in the people in front of him.

He hadn't seen her at first and she thought he had looked disappointed but she was sure she imagined it. Then as if in a dream he had turned to her. His green gaze drinking her up like a parched traveler in need of cool refreshment. And seeing her did seem to be doing him good, he moved a little as if to reach for her hand and she grasped it. He seemed to take comfort in that. Then she had spoken.

"Welcome back Neal" His eyes had met hers and he seemed to be thanking her until they shut once more and he was gone again into the sleep that had held him for nearly a week. At that she had fairly lost control, sobbing and screaming whilst shaking him to wake him up again.

"Neal? Neal? Can you hear me? Come back to me Neal! Don't leave me; I can't do this without you." Duke Baird upset though he was as well, was forced to pull Kel off Neal and sedate her, sending her into a sleep that would nourish her deprived body. When she had woken up she was furious but understood what the Duke had done. Mainly she was glad that she hadn't missed Neal waking up again.

Weeks passed before that occurred for the second time. Kel had been sitting by him as usual, refusing to lose hope even as the days turned into weeks. She had been reading a book on philosophy that Neal had given her last Midwinter. She hadn't read it until now because she was usually so busy and because she'd never really thought about it that much. But now she sat in the one place all day long and her thoughts were focused on Neal, so naturally she had thought of the book and decided to read it. It was actually quite interesting. She was pondering a question posed in the book when her eyes focused on a young couple a few beds down.

She dimly remembered the young man being brought in a few days ago with some minor injuries. His sweetheart had been in many times to visit and now that he was being discharged she was there to help him along. Seeing them chat lightheartedly and looking so happy she had begun to wonder if Neal would ever wake up. And deep down she wondered if she would ever have a love like their's.

She began to cry once more, something that had become common in the past few weeks, and spoke all her fears, uncertainties and feelings out loud to Neal knowing that he would never really hear her. But he had.

His response had startled her, and she felt an overwhelming happiness that he was alive, so overwhelming that she told herself that she hadn't heard his question. She began babbling and he had asked again. She brushed the question off and told him to forget it, but she knew she couldn't. How close had she come to ruining their friendship?

And then he had said something strange. She hadn't understood and so he had spoken more clearly.

"What I'm saying is Kel I love you…" she hadn't heard the rest. She knew he was speaking but her brain was in chaos trying to process what he had said. He loved her? But Why? And since when? She wanted so much to just believe him, to know without fear that he did truly feel for her in that way. But she couldn't, not after Dom. She needed confirmation. He had given it to her in the look in his eyes as he told her he loved her and in the strength of his kiss even though he was so weak. She had broken off first to give him some air and had hugged him tight in her arms to support his weak body.

She was so happy she felt like crying, again.

Neal made a rapid recovery after that with Kel by his side all the way. They didn't speak much about their relationship preferring the simplicity of mutual love to hold them together. They trusted each other so much that there was no need to make rules and plans and much of their time was spent as before, talking, laughing, being together, teasing each other and being best friends. There were however some differences. There was the physical side, the kissing and hugging and touching, the attraction.

They didn't do much more than kissing and Kel was glad to take it slow, wanting their relationship to last and also because she had never done more than that before. She wasn't the one to jump into a relationship like that and she was happy that Neal was giving her the time she needed and not pushing her the way Dom and Cleon had done.

But their peaceful life was not to last, with the war renewed Kel and Neal were being sent back up north to the border. Much to Kel's delight they were being posted together, and as an added bonus their mission was to protect New Hope. Kel was secretly grateful to Lord Raoul who it was said had persuaded the King to send her there again. She thought she would want to be on the 'real' battlefront but when she thought about it, New Hope was where she really wanted to be. Protecting people was what she was made for, she was the Protector of the Small after all.

As soon as Neal was strong enough they set off for New Hope accompanied by a squadron of the King's Own, luckily not Dom's. Although Kel had stopped being angry at Dom and almost thanked him for bringing her and Neal together, Neal wasn't so forgiving to the man who had broken Kel's heart and caused her so much pain.

On the second day of riding Kel was leading out in front when Neal trotted up to her reigning his horse in alongside, falling in time with hers.

"How about a kiss fair Lady for a gallant Knight like myself?"

Kel laughed. "Gallant? You? I see no Knight in front of me!"

"Ah sweet Lady you wound me so, though your voice is sweet as honey."

"Neal do you want me to hit you? Your poetry just keeps getting worse!"

"Fine then, but will you give me a kiss anyway Kel? Please?" he pleaded with her, eyes wide and puppy-like.

Kel peeked a look behind them and saw the rest of the group looking towards them with interest. She blushed slightly then grinned.

"Neal, come here." He edged his Moonlight closer warily.

"Kel? What are you-" He was cut off by her kiss. It was quick, but he pulled her back for more to the cheering of the soldiers.

"You'll pay for that Queenscove." Muttered Kel as they broke off, her cheeks red, her lips bruised.

"You know you could never live without me Kel."

"Oh yeah? And who says that?"

"Well you for one."

"Shut up Neal." Was all she said before turning to the soldiers and ordering them to get moving before she threw them all into trees and left them there. The soldiers quickly obeyed and the group moved on.

_**  
Out of the back you fall in time  
I somehow find  
You and I collide  
**_

Yes thought Neal as he looked down at the woman who lay beside him, he wouldn't give her up for the world. He never wanted to lose her, ever. He almost had once but he wouldn't let that happen again. The memory of that day when she had nearly been lost to him forever stood out in his mind…

It was a few days after the break up with Dom and Kel hadn't seen him since then. But at breakfast on that day she had. She had walked into the mess hall and there he had been with his new woman. She was everything a woman ought to be; long hair, beautiful, perfect figure, not too tall, lovely dress, tinkling laughter, soft voice, warm touch. She couldn't stand it, Kel had turned and run out of the hall not noticing Neal who was just entering.

He saw her bolt and realized the cause in the second before he took after her. How dare Dom bring that whore into the mess hall? Did he want to torment poor Kel?

People said he had horse blood but nothing seemed to make him catch up to Kel today. She weaved in and out of people and ran without slowing at all. At one point there were so many people that Neal couldn't see her and had to stop to get a better look. He was nervous and impatient to find her and kept jigging from one foot to the other. Then he spotted her heading down a side hall and took off again.

The hall twisted and turned and he only caught glimpses of her before reaching a fork. It went three ways, one up, one down and one on the same level. He didn't know which one she had taken. His mind was in overload. _Think Neal think. Now where would Kel go when she is upset? You know her you should be able to figure this out. _And there he had it. Every other time Kel had been upset she had sought out a high place so that she was forced to concentrate on her fear not her worries.

Neal entered the passage that lead to the battlements and sure enough it had the faint smell of Kel in it. He followed it up until he came out to one of the castle's towers and looked around for Kel. There she was, just ahead, still running. He watched in slow motion as she faltered and slipped on the flagstones, still wet from rain the night before.

He couldn't believe his eyes as he saw her body hit the edge of the battlements and begin to tip over the side. At once his own body jolted into action, darting forward to grab her even as she scrabbled to save herself.

Of course she had been alright, nothing more than shaken and worn out from the stress of it.

Neal seemed more worried about the ordeal. "Kel I thought you were dead! Be careful where you tread after rain like that!"

_**Don't stop here  
I lost my place  
I'm close behind  
Even the best fall down sometimes  
Even the wrong words seem to rhyme  
**_

Thinking back on that day now as he was warm in bed with Kel beside him Neal decided that it was one of the worst experiences of his life. Back then he'd never thought that someday he and Kel would be in a relationship and that he could love someone so much or be loved by someone so much as he was by Kel.

_**Out of the doubt that fills your mind  
You finally find  
You and I collide  
**_

Kel's eyes flickered again beside him before opening. She focused on his face and smiled. That smile held so much for him, his whole life, and he knew what to do. He climbed out of the bed leaving a puzzled Kel behind and rummaged in the draw to find it. There it was.

He held his hand behind his back, a small box clasped in it as he returned to the bedside. One of his hands took Kel's the other still holding the box. He captured her eyes with his and understanding passed between them. Kel nodded, unable to speak, and leaned down to kiss him. He'd been worried before that she wasn't ready for marriage but this morning he had known. As he slid the ring onto her finger he knew that his happiness would only be complete with her at his side to lead him, support him, love him, be loved by him, be his friend, his lover, his wife and someday when she was ready the mother for his children. She was the one and only love of his life…

_**You finally find  
You and I collide  
You finally find  
You and I collide**_

**_

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it would be nice if you could review!


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